<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
<head>
<title>Use of extension attribute on RSS 2.0 core element: (namespace,name)</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" />
<link rel="icon" href="http://www.feedvalidator.org/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="http://www.feedvalidator.org/favicon.ico" />
<style type="text/css" media="screen">@import "../../css/common.css";
@import "../../css/documentation.css";</style>
<script type="text/javascript"><!-- --></script>
<link rel="start" href="http://feedvalidator.org/docs/" title="Home" />
</head>
<body>
<div id="logo">
<h1><a href="../../"><span id="feed"><span id="f">F</span><span id="e1">E</span><span id="e2">E</span></span><span id="d">D</span> Validator</a></h1>
<p>Documentation</p>
<a class="skip" href="#startnavigation">Jump to navigation</a>
</div> <!--logo-->

<div id="main">
<h2>Message</h2>
<div class="docbody">
<p>Use of extension attribute on RSS 2.0 core element: <code>(namespace,name)</code></p>
</div>
<h2>Explanation</h2>

<div class="docbody">
<p>While the original RSS 2.0 specification only <a href="http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html#extendingRss">explicitly allows arbitrary namespace qualified <em>elements</em> to be defined</a>, it is silent on the permissibility of arbitrary namespace qualified <em>attributes</em> on core elements.
In June of 2007, the RSS Advisory Board <a href="http://www.rssboard.org/news/171/rss-20-specification-version-209">approved a clarification</a> authorizing such use.  Without stating a reason, Harvard had previously stopped accepting updates from the RSS Advisory Board.</p>
<p>Here are a few links to prior discussions on the topic:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html#extendingRss">Harvard spec</a>, <a href="http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification#extendingRss">RSS Board spec</a></li>
<li>Dave Winer:
<a href="http://www.scripting.com/2002/09/06.html#When:10:56:56AM">Sep 6, 2002</a></li>
<li>Randy Charles Morin:
<a href="http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/rss-public/message/943">Oct 3</a>,
<a href="http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/rss-public/message/950">Oct 3</a>,
<a href="http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/rss-public/message/955">Oct 4</a>,
<a href="http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/rss-public/message/1311">May 20, 2007</a></li>
<li>Rogers Cadenhead:
<a href="http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/rss-public/message/949">Oct 3</a>,
<a href="http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/rss-public/message/951">Oct 3</a>,
<a href="http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/rss-public/message/953">Oct 3</a>,
<a href="http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/rss-public/message/956">Oct 5, 2006</a>,
<a href="http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/rss-public/message/1314">May 21</a>,
<a href="http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/rss-public/message/1316">May 21</a>,
<a href="http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/rss-public/message/1317">May 21, 2007</a>
<a href="http://groups.google.com/group/feedvalidator-users/browse_thread/thread/4352bb9a1b488ea5/4961e351bea38186?#4961e351bea38186">March 11, 2008</a></li>
<li>Alan Dean:
<a href="http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/rss-public/message/1393">May 27, 2007</a></li>
<li>James Holderness:
<a href="http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/rss-public/message/1427">May 28, 2007</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2>Solution</h2>
<div class="docbody">
<p>As no known problems have arisen as of yet from the use of namespace
qualified attributes, no action may be needed; however if there are equal
or better alternatives (such as the use of sibling namespace qualified elements), you might consider using them instead.</p>
<p>Alternately, by explictly adopting the value of the <a href="http://www.rssboard.org/rss-profile#element-channel-docs"><code>&lt;docs&gt;</code></a> element specified in the RSS Advisory Board's version of the specification, you are indicating that you are relying on the specification and profile published by the <a href="http://www.rssboard.org/">RSS Advisory Board</a>.  If the Feed Validator detects such an usage, it will omit this warning message</p>
</div>
<h2>Not clear?  Disagree?</h2>
<div class="docbody">
<p>You might be able to find help in one of <a href="../howto/resources.html">these fine resources</a>.</p>
</div>

</div><!--main-->
<div class="centered">
<a name="startnavigation" id="startnavigation"></a>
<div class="navbarWrapper">
    <div class="navbarContent">
        <img class="borderTL" src="../../images/borderTL.gif" alt="" width="14" height="14" />
        <img class="borderTR" src="../../images/borderTR.gif" alt="" width="14" height="14" />

<p>
<a href="../../">Home</a> &middot;
<a href="../../about.html">About</a> &middot;
<a href="../../news/">News</a> &middot;
<a href="../../docs/">Docs</a> &middot;
<a href="../../terms.html">Terms</a>
</p>

        <div class="roundedCornerSpacer">&nbsp;</div>
    </div><!-- .content -->
    <div class="bottomCorners">
        <img class="borderBL" src="../../images/borderBL.gif" alt="" width="14" height="14" />
        <img class="borderBR" src="../../images/borderBR.gif" alt="" width="14" height="14" />
    </div><!-- .bottomCorners -->
</div><!-- .contentWrapper -->
</div><!-- .centered -->

<div class="centered">
<address>Copyright &copy; 2002-4 <a href="http://diveintomark.org/">Mark Pilgrim</a> and <a href="http://www.intertwingly.net/blog/">Sam Ruby</a></address>
</div>

</body>
</html>
